


The Unwritable Girl

by Ellidiotts



Series: Rare-Pair One-Shots [2]
Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, F/M, Fluff, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23678461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellidiotts/pseuds/Ellidiotts
Summary: Josh wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but he knew how he felt.He needed to tell her-- he needed to saysomethingbefore she left.Otherwise he might not get a second chance.
Relationships: Josh Porter/Theresa Rubel
Series: Rare-Pair One-Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115096
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	The Unwritable Girl

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe there's nothing on AO3 about these two. After re-watching the series recently, I loved their chemistry and complete opposite personalities.  
> Although I'm more of a F/F and M/M writer, I couldn't resist this for some reason.  
> (Also Nick/Monroe is always present in my Grimm fics because of course it is.)

The drive back to Philadelphia took far longer than they expected. Josh had been nervous and agitated the entire trip, no matter how hard he tried to relax-- he’d become too used to constantly checking over his shoulder and bracing himself for an unexpected attack. Trubel noticed, because  _ of course _ she did-- and told him it’s fairly normal for a kehrseite-schlich-kennen. It didn’t make it any easier for him to sleep, though. 

They couldn’t go back to his place, or his dad’s house either. Instead, they found a two bedroom apartment on the other side of the state, far from where anyone might recognise him. His entire world had been turned upside down, and the best he could do was go with where it took him at this point. Thankfully it didn’t take too long to settle in, but by this point Josh was positively exhausted from  _ everything _ that had happened to him these past few weeks. 

All he wanted was to relax with a cold beer and good company.

“Thanks again for helping me out,” Josh said, handing an opened beer to Trubel. 

“Anytime,” Trubel replied, accepting the offer. She walked across the room, investigating each room and window of the apartment, checking for any suspicious signs. “Alright, you should be safe here. For now.”

“That’s comforting,” he replied quietly, feeling himself relax a little.

This new lifestyle was going to take some getting used to.

Josh eyed the collection of leather-bound books stacked on the table, walking over to them with curiosity. The two of them had spent time reading up on Nick’s Grimm books back in Portland, but the more he read, the more he wanted to learn. There were hundreds of years worth of Grimm knowledge and wesen that were still unknown to him. He ran his hand over one of the books, taking note of the faded cover and frayed edges of the pages.

“Can I…” he trailed off, looking at Trubel and pointing to the table. “I’d really like to read more, if that's okay.”

She shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”

Josh promptly took a seat at the table, pulling the first book from the pile, and carefully turning to the first page. Haunting illustrations littered the contents, of various different wesen in full woge, and he’d be lying if it didn’t make the hair on his neck stand on end. He was still yet to face down against a fully woged wesen, and after learning what he had so far, he was hoping to avoid that for as long as possible. 

At least until he was prepared enough for a fair fight.

Trubel chuckled from across the table, watching him as she took another swig from her drink. He’d been so engrossed reading a page on dämonfeuer that he hadn’t realised she was sitting opposite him.

“What?” Josh asked as he looked up, feeling an infectious smile spreading across his face. “Am I doing it wrong?”

“No, it’s not that,” the Grimm paused, covering her mouth with the back of her hand briefly. “This just reminds me so much of when Nick first explained all this to me. I spent the entire night going through his books, trying to memorise as much as I could.”

Josh paused, taking note of her words. He could hear the sadness in her voice as she spoke about the other Grimm. It had been nearly a week since they’d left Portland, and Josh could tell she was still struggling with leaving Nick and the others behind.

Maybe he could use the opportunity to talk to Trubel about her time in Portland, and hopefully, cheer her up if he could.

“So that’s how you met,” Josh stated. “I always got the impression that you’d known each other for  _ years. _ ”

“Feels like it sometimes,” she agreed. “He’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a family.”

Josh stilled, shifting his gaze back to her. He’d spent so many years of his life taking his father for granted. “I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

“I’m just glad he found me when he did,” Trubel hummed, leaning back in her chair with a wave of her hand. A sudden look of realisation changed her expression drastically. “You... didn’t think me and Nick were-- like, dating or something, did you?”

“No! No--” Josh stammered, feeling the heat rush to his cheeks. He still wasn’t used to how forward Trubel could be sometimes. “But I, uh-- I shouldn’t pry regardless, it's not my business.”

He huddled over the book in his hands, averting his eyes and trying his best to will away the warmth that was no doubtedly showing on his face by now. At least he could try to blame it on the beer.

“I’m just messing with you,” Trubel teased, grinning from ear to ear. “Even if I  _ did _ like Nick in that kind of way, I’m pretty sure his boyfriend would rip my throat out if I came on to him.”

Josh was surprised by her sudden laugher and found himself joining in, stopping abruptly when her words sunk in. He paused, furrowing his brow and raising his hand to say something, but he couldn’t quite find the right words.

“Wait... what?” He asked, eyes narrowing. He  _ did  _ hear that correctly, right? 

“You didn’t notice?” Trubel leaned forward, and motioned for him to come closer. Suddenly he found himself mere inches from her face. “I guess they’re keeping it on the down low... I don’t think a Grimm-wesen relationship will go over too well with the wesen community,” she whispered with a knowing look. “Or the council for that matter.”

Josh leant back, processing the few days worth of memories he had during his time in Portland. Nick had a few wesen friends, he’d met some of them. There was that shaggy clock-maker that he saw just about every day. Could it possibly be--

“The blutbad?” He asked, cocking his head to the side. Trubel gave him a thumbs up, and then everything began to make sense. “No wonder I didn’t notice.”

The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as Josh resumed the page he was reading. At this point, he wondered if it would benefit him learning German, but from what he could tell, the type of German written in these books is so old that even native speakers would struggle with it.

“So why all the interest?” She asked.

“I want to understand my family better,” Josh grimaced, closing the book. “I'm the latest generation of a long line of Grimms-- even if I'm not one myself, it's good for me to know what I’m in for.  _ Especially _ if I’m a target.”

“It's never too late,” Trubel pointed out. “You might become a Grimm, one day.”

“Really?” He blinked. “I just assumed you'd always know if you were one or not.”

“Not necessarily,” she clarified, placing a hand on her chin thoughtfully. “I mean-- Nick's around your age and only found his Grimm powers a couple years ago. Even most wesen don’t realise they're wesen until their teen years.”

“Wow,” Josh breathed. “I had no idea.”

Trubel moved her chair around the table, shuffling closer to him. 

“Does it scare you, the thought of being a Grimm?” She asked. “It's not exactly a relaxing lifestyle.”

It was a valid question, and one that Josh had spent a lot of time thinking about. He understood that Grimms had other advantages than just being able to see wesen, but he still couldn’t imagine it. Even when he was staying at Nick’s, gripping hopelessly onto a machete with no clue how to use it-- he felt completely useless.

Josh could only hope that Trubel could teach him a thing or two about combat before she left him.

“If I'm entirely honest-- from what I've already seen... it scares the shit out of me,” he averted his eyes, reminding himself of just how much of a coward he was by nature. “But I don't have any control over it, so it’s good to know that I won't be alone at least.”

“I'll be here,” Trubel replied with a comforting smile. 

Josh felt as if he’d melt. Considering her tough exterior and habit of beheading wesen without a second thought, she was surprisingly kind and gentle at heart. He really hoped that he’d have a chance to see more of this side of her while she was still here.

“I appreciate that.”

~//~//~//~//~//~

Trubel brought back two more cold beers from the kitchen, replacing the one in Josh’s hand without him realising it was already empty. He mumbled a polite thank you, eyes engrossed in the contents of the current page of the Grimm book. Having already had one too many run ins with hundjäger, he had to make sure he was prepared for next time, and he might as well read up on anything else he could find. 

Just to be sure.

Even though Josh wasn’t a Grimm-- and right now, looking through the books and spending time with Trubel, he sometimes wished he  _ was-- _ but considering his ancestors, he didn’t know if he’d ever be safe. Regardless, he couldn’t be too careful. He was sure the Verrat wouldn’t care either way.

“You’re looking rather thoughtful,” Trubel interrupted, causing Josh to flinch in surprise. She placed some sandwiches on the table, stealing half of one and taking a bite. “Sorry, just came to give you some more fuel.” 

It was just like her to be so thoughtful.

“I still can’t believe this is all real. I… always thought my family was crazy,” Josh admitted, struggling to hide the guilt that hung over him when he thought back to all those years of his father trying to convince him otherwise. 

“Kind of ironic, don’t you think?” She asked, taking a seat and kicking her feet up on the table. “You spent all those years with Grimms and being fed all these fairy tales about wesen… and now look at you, stuck with another Grimm.”

“I think it turned out for the best,” Josh shrugged. “If I didn’t find you guys, I’m sure the Verrat would have killed me.”

He got up from his seat, taking a moment to stretch out, and work the kink in his back. He hadn’t realised just how long he’d been hunched over the table. Trubel did the same, moving to the other side of the room.

“How long will you stay for?”

“A few weeks. At least,” she leaned by the nearest window, peeking through the curtain and eyeing their surroundings. “Until I’m sure that you’re not being followed or targeted.”

“Will you stay here?” Josh asked, referring to his apartment.

Trubel turned back to him with a look of alam. “Oh-- well, no. I mean, I’d hate to  _ intrude _ \--”

“You can take the spare bedroom,” he offered.

“But--”

“I insist,” he interrupted. “I’d feel safer knowing you were here.”

“Oh. Yeah, sure,” Trubel replied, eyes averted. “Thanks.” 

Josh smiled. “It’s my pleasure, Theresa.”

Considering how late it was getting, he headed to the kitchen to clean up. It took him a moment to realise Trubel had followed him, and was quietly standing behind him. He looked over his shoulder to meet her eyes with concern, and she was staring at him with an expression he couldn’t quite decipher.

“Why do you do that?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Josh had absolutely no idea what she was referring to, trying to remember the last thing he said. “What do you mean?” He replied, and couldn’t help feeling a slight sense of dread.

“My  _ name _ ,” she emphasised, rolling her eyes. “You’re the only person who calls me that, you know.”

“Oh,” he furrowed his brow, worried that he might have offended her without meaning to. “Do you hate it? “

“Not exactly,” she trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’m just not used to it.”

“I… think it’s a lovely name. It suits you.”

Josh barely registered his words before he noticed Trubel’s expression, and the flush that appeared on her cheeks.

“I, uh-- sure, I don’t mind,” she replied hurriedly, before mumbling some excuse to leave and disappearing into the next room.

Josh groaned, placing his face in his hands. Was that a weird thing to say? He really wasn’t good at this type of thing. Friendships were weird enough, and almost impossible for him to make-- and what he had with Trubel was great, as strange as it was.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t deny that his feelings for her had shifted into something else-- something stronger. But the whole situation they were in, with Grimms, wesen, Verrat-- it wasn’t exactly the type of world that would allow for a relationship like the one he craved for.

If his emotions and feelings continued the way they were heading, Josh was sure he’d say something stupid and fuck up everything. He had to keep it together.

He couldn’t stand to lose her.

~//~//~//~//~//~

“Theresa,” Josh started, finding the Grimm typing away on her laptop. They hadn’t spoken since their last conversation was cut short the previous night, and he wanted to make sure that he hadn’t made things  _ weird _ like he had a habit of doing. “I’d like to ask you something, if you have a minute.”

She hummed in acknowledgement, making no motion to shift from her comfortable place on the couch. He hesitated, feeling doubt creep into his mind. He couldn’t back down now, no matter the outcome. 

All he needed to do was ask the question and hope for the best.

“Would you like to… get dinner with me?” he asked, his voice only breaking slightly from his nerves. 

Trubel finally turned to him, with a smile on her face. “Yeah, sure! Man, I’m  _ starving _ now that you mention it. I was thinking chinese. That suit you?”

Before he could get another word in, she was up and rushing past him into the kitchen, sorting through piles of unread letters and junk mail. A collection of restaurant leaflets fell to the ground, scattering all around them. 

Josh sighed internally, wondering where he went so wrong with his words. Maybe he just needed to be more precise. He  _ felt  _ like he was being rather straight with her, but then again, he had a feeling it wasn’t the type of conversation Trubel had very often.

“That’s not exactly what I meant by--”

“Pizza?” Trubel asked, licking her lips. “I’m down for that too. Think I had the number around here somewhere.”

“Wait, Theresa,” Josh sounded a little more stern than he intended, and he reached for her arm at the same time.

As soon as he realised what he’d done, he pulled away from her, holding his hands up. She stopped and stared at him, expression puzzled. He hoped he hadn’t crossed a line.

“I mean… I’d like to take you out somewhere nice for dinner, some time,” Josh could feel his palms sweating with every passing moment. “If-- if you like.”

It was hard for him to not ramble at the awkwardness and her lack of response. She was practically frozen on the spot, eyes wide and unblinking. He didn’t know what else to do but continue to talk.

“You’ve done so much for me and you put up with me, and I just wanted to do something nice in return, which is hard considering how useless I am, and… I--”

His heart was beating so loudly in his chest, he could barely hear himself talk with the echo in his ears. He shook his head briefly, before looking directly into her eyes.

“I… really like you Theresa,” Josh confessed, before looking away awkwardly and regretting every decision he’d just made in the last five minutes. He hid his face behind his hands, considering just leaving the room and pretending the conversation never happened. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget it.”

As he turned to head out of the apartment, Trubel grabbed  _ his _ arm this time, stopping him in his tracks. He jumped at the contact, finding her impossibly close all of a sudden. He opened his mouth to say something, but found his mind blank.

“Wait-- I-- I’m not good at this,” she replied, hesitating. “It took me a second to understand what you meant, but I-- no one's ever said that to me before.”

“ _ Really? _ ” Josh asked in disbelief, considering how amazing she was, in every sense of the word. Surely he wasn’t the  _ only _ person who saw that. “I find that very hard to believe.”

“Well, it’s hard to have that kind of life when you think you’re insane and constantly on edge because a monster might jump out of nowhere and kill you at any moment,” Trubel argued, and made a good point.

“Yeah, that would make sense,” Josh agreed, swallowing the lump in his throat. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Just for--”

“I’d love to,” Trubel interrupted him mid-sentence, releasing her hold on him. “To go out, sometime, I mean.” She was blushing, and Josh wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, although he was sure they hadn’t quite reached that point yet. “But I… like you too... I think. I’m not sure-- it might take me a while to adjust. This is all very new to me.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll follow your lead,” Josh blurted out before he could get a hold of himself. He still couldn’t believe that she felt the same way, his mind repeating her words over and over again. He felt so ridiculously happy that he thought he might cry. “For a second there I was afraid you’d never speak to me again.”

“Like you could get rid of me that easily,” she reminded him with a brief smile. “But I have to ask… are you  _ sure?  _ About… this?” She gestured to herself with a look of slight distaste.

“Of course,” Josh replied. He struggled to follow her logic. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just that-- growing up with a father that was a Grimm… and I mean, this lifestyle-- being on the run, watching your back constantly-- that’s what it’s like to be around me. Is that  _ really  _ something you want?”

He let out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding, as his gaze flickered between her eyes. He understood her point of view, and it was certainly a way of life that was far out of his comfort zone. 

But she meant more to him than that.

“As long as I’m with you, Theresa, nothing else matters.”

That sounded  _ far nicer _ in his head. No matter how hard Josh tried, he always ended up sounding like a huge dork. If he kept this up he’d ruin whatever changes he had before the end of the night. 

“God, you are such a hopeless romantic,” Trubel laughed, and Josh loved the way it lit up her face. “Seriously though, I’m not exactly  _ girlfriend  _ material. I don’t make friends easily and I don’t have the slightest clue what being in a relationship is like.”

Josh shrugged. “You’re doing pretty well all things considered.”

“If you’re trying to compliment me, you’re doing a very poor job of it.”

“Sorry, I’m out of practice,” he admitted sheepishly.

She raised an eyebrow. “Good to know that we both have no idea what we’re doing then.”

An uncomfortable silence falls between them, and Josh couldn’t focus long enough to make a coherent thought. There was so much he wanted to say and do-- but he felt unable to move under her gaze, mesmerized by her eyes.

“Can I--” Trubel started, taking a step forward.

Her hand hovered by the side of his face, for just a moment, before cupping his cheek. Josh lent into the touch with a soft sigh. It’d been so long since he’d been around someone that made him feel like this. After a few long moments, he hesitentently mirrored her action, feeling warmth beneath his fingertips.

For a moment, he was sure that he forgot how to breathe. 

“You’re beautiful,” was all he could think to say, and cringed internally at how soppy that sounded out loud. “I mean--”

Trubel cut him off with a soft, hesitant kiss. Suddenly all cohesive thoughts disappeared from his mind, as he melted to the touch. It was brief, but it was the most amazing thing Josh had ever experienced in his life. 

He felt like he’d died and gone to heaven.

She pulled away with a sly smile, patting his cheek affectionately.

“You know, you’re not so bad yourself.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'd love to write a longer fic about these two and their adventures once they leave Nick's place. I'm hoping to do so once I get some other works out of the way. If that interests you I'd love to know!


End file.
